On May 9, 1960, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Enovid, the first birth control pill. While often discussed in the context of broader women\’s rights, access to birth control would have a particular impact on African American women. In subsequent years, the pill became a tool for Black women to exert greater control over their reproductive lives amid systemic healthcare racism and economic inequality. Later, during the 1970s, activists such as Fannie Lou Hamer raised awareness about forced sterilizations targeting Black women, highlighting the complex intersections between reproductive freedom and racial justice.
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